Clothes line standard assembly



y 5, 1955 E. L. MERTZ CLOTHES LINE STANDARD ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 15, 1952 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 2,712,368 CLOTHES LINE STANDARD ASSEMBLY Elias L. Mertz, Kansas City, Mo. Application October 13, 1952, Serial No. 314,482 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 189-3144) This invention has to do with a standard assembly for clotheslines and has for its primary object to provide component parts that may be easily and quickly packaged in a relatively small container for storage and shipment. and which parts are easily and quickly assembled and interconnected at the point of use by the purchaser though he may not be particularly skilled in the field.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a clothesline standard assembly that includes a post, a pair of telescoping cross tubes adapted for easy interconnection and joinder to the post, and a guy bar that is likewise provided with simple structure for joining the same with the post and thereby support the latter when mounted for use.

Other objects include the way in which the telescoping cross tubes are held against relative displacement by cross pins that in turn receive the clotheslines; the manner of slotting the guy bar for receiving a take-up bolt and nut assembly on the post; the way in which the guy bar and post are reinforced intermediate the ends thereof by a take-up assembly; and many additional more minor objects all of which will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a clothesline standard assembly made pursuant to my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevational view, parts being broken way and in section for clearness and to reveal details of construction; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, crosssectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

A pair of clothesline standard assemblies made accord ing to the present invention, is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing and since they are identical, but one will be described.

An elongated, preferably tubular post 10, is embedded within a frusto-conical concrete base 12 at the lowermost end of the post to hold the latter vertically, base 12 having an out-turned, continuous annular flange 14 at the lowermost end thereof. A pair of relatively crossed pins 16 intersecting the longitudinal axis of the post 10 at the lowermost end of the latter, are also embedded within the base 12 for purposes of rigidity.

An elongated guy bar 18 that is preferably L-shaped in cross-section and inclined as shown in the drawing has its lowermost end embedded within a substantially frusto-conical base 20 having a concave lowermost end 22. A pair of relatively crossed pins 24 intersecting the bar 18, are embedded within the base 20.

The post 10 is provided with a transverse cross pin 26 near the uppermost end thereof, having a take-up nut 28 on one end thereof and an eye 30 on its opposite end. The guy bar 18 has an elongated slot 32 at its uppermost end for clearing the eye 30, and a short pin 34 in the guy bar 18 is received by the eye 30. Thus, when the nut 28 is manipulated, the guy bar 18 is drawn tightly against the post 10 in the manner illustrated by Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The guy bar 18 and the post 10 are also interconnected intermediate the ends thereof. To this end a split collar 36 on the post 10, is provided with a pair of spaced, perforated ears 38 having an interconnecting pin 40. A bolt 42 has an eye 44 on one end thereof between the ears 38 for receiving the pin and a take-up nut 46 'on its opposite end, it being noted in Fig. 2 of the drawing that the bolt 42 passes through a reinforcing plate 48 on the bar 18 and through the latter. A sleeve 50 surrounds the bolt 42 between the plate 48 and the ears 38. Thus, when nut 46 is manipulated, the bar 18, the plate 48, the sleve 50 and the ears 38 are all clamped tightly together and the bar 18 is joined rigidly to the post 10.

A T-shaped tubular coupling 52 on the uppermost end of the post 10 receives a pair of relatively telescoped cross tubes 54 and 56, it being noted that the tube 54 passes through the coupling 52 and that the same is reinforced by the inner tube 56. Tubes 54 and 56 are held against relative displacement by a plurality of cross pins 58, some of which intersect both of the tubes 54 and 56. Each cross pin 58 has a hook 60 at one end thereof for receiving a clothesline 62 and a spring 64 coiled thereabout and bearing against the tube 54. Each pin 58 is likewise provided with a wing nut 66 whereby the tension on the lines 62 may be selected.

It is now seen that it is a simple matter for the purchaser to dig holes for receiving the bases 12 and 20, interconnect the post 10 and the guy bar 18 and thereupon pour the bases 12 and 24) around the lowermost ends of the post 10 and the guy bar 18 embedding the pins 16 and 24 therein. The cross pins 16 and 24 may be easily inserted prior to pouring of the concrete bases. Thereupon, the couplings 52 may be placed upon the posts 10, the tube 56 placed in the tube 54, and tube 54 threaded into the coupling 52. When pins 58 are mounted in the manner illustrated, the tubes 54 and 56 will be held against relative displacement. After lines 62 are attached to the hooks 60, wing nuts 66 may be manipulated to apply tension to the springs 64 whereby lines 62 will always be held in a taut condition.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a clothesline standard assembly, an elongated, cylindrical, normally vertical post; a split collar on the post intermediate the ends thereof having a pair of spaced, perforated ears; a horizontal bolt traversing the post adjacent the uppermost end thereof, said bolt having a take-up nut on one end thereof and an eye on the opposite end thereof; an elongated, normally inclined, transversely L-shaped guy bar having a pair of legs, said guy bar partially straddling the post at the uppermost ends of the post and the bar, there being a longitudinal slot in the guy bar at the juncture of said legs thereof and extending downwardly from the uppermost end of the guy bar, said eye extending into the slot; at cross pin in said eye and bearing against the bar whereby, upon tightening the nut said bar will be clamped tightly against the post at said uppermost end of the bar between the cross pin and the post; a second bolt parallel to said first bolt, said second bolt extending through said bar intermediate the ends of the latter and having an eye on one end thereof disposed between said ears of the collar; a cross pin passing through the perforations of the ears and through the eye of the second bolt; a sleeve on the second bolt between the bar and the collar; and a nut on the opposite end of the second bolt for clamping the sleeve tightly between the collar and the bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,576,805 Niles Nov. 27, 1951 

